


Perfect

by wneleh



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Babies, F/M, FLUFF FLUFF SO MUCH FLUFF, Gen, just something I needed to get out of my head
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 03:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7417300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wneleh/pseuds/wneleh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I know you have opinions about every aspect of birth and of babies,” says Link, “because you have opinions about absolutely everything."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely made up, and contradicts canon in several regards. 
> 
> Also, I’d like to stop writing in the present tense, but just can’t manage it, so sorry about that.

“I definitely think drugs are the way to go when it’s my turn,” Jessie says as she and Rhett take the elevator up to the Center for Mothers and Infants – Surgical Recovery.

“You know, there are advantages to natural childbirth,” Rhett says. “I was reading about hypno-birthing last week…”

Jessie places a hand on his elbow, her usual signal for him to shut up and listen. “Let’s not get into that right now,” she says. “In fact - maybe don’t say anything at all to Christy today.”

That hurts. Actually, that hurts quite a bit. “Why not? What do you think I’m going to say?” 

Rhett feels his voice rising and, with effort, shifts to a whisper to say, “Christy is one of my closest friends!”

Jessie slips an arm around him and squeezes. “Just leave Christy to me, you coo over Baby Lily.”

Then Jessie’s bee-lining through double-doors and into a room – yeah, it’s the right one, at least - not even knocking – how’s THAT for rude? 

When he enters a second or two behind her, his wife and Christy are locked in a tight embrace and Rhett wonders whether they’re crushing the baby between them. But then Jessie backs up and says, “I’m not hurting you, darling, am I?” and Rhett takes a beat to realize that, today, apparently, Christy is her darling; and the baby…

Is being held by Link, sitting not six feet to his right. Or, well, Rhett’s pretty sure it’s the baby, though he can’t see much of it.

Before Rhett’s figured out what, exactly, to do – is he also supposed to hug Christy, even though he’s not actually sure she’s fully clothed beneath that robe she’s wearing? – Jessie’s past him to Link and talking gibberish and Rhett thinks, okay, yes, baby.

Then Jessie’s back over to Christy. “But you were about to go for a walk? Forget the nurse, I’ll take you,” and then Christy’s agonizingly carefully sliding out of the bed and she and Jessie head toward the door with barely a look at either him or Link plus wee babe.

“Is Christy mad at me?” are the first words Rhett says once he and Link are alone (well, kind of alone; does the baby count?).

“Why would she be mad at you?” Link asks. “Come on, pull a chair over, meet my daughter.”

Once he’s sitting, once Rhett’s able to really look at the baby – well, he wonders whether she’s supposed to be so small and so – wrinkly, so wiggly, more like a sleeping cat than a human. “Is she supposed to move like that?” he asks. 

“I wondered that myself at first,” says Link. “They say she’s perfect in every way.”

“Can I hold her?” Rhett asks; and, at Link’s doubtful look, says, “I’ve held kittens.”

“Close enough,” Link says.

Baby Lily is heavier than Rhett expected; warm and heavy and Rhett is suddenly intensely aware of his power, but her – well, personhood. And of Link’s eyes, drilling into him, not quite trusting him. But he doesn’t quite trust himself either, so he hands her back.

“So the delivery was rough.”

“Yeah – the labor lasted forever, and then things started going south, and next thing I know they’re cutting my wife open.” Link smiles. “It was the grossest thing ever, but I didn’t faint.”

“Point for you there,” Rhett observes.

“Damn straight. And then they let Christy sleep for a few hours while they checked Lily out, but I was on baby duty to make sure we got the right one back – don’t laugh, Christy made me promise – and now, here we are. We could give her to the nursery but we’re not going to.”

“We can take her for a bit if you both need to sleep,” Rhett says.

Link looks down at his daughter. “Thanks,” he says softly. “Thanks for that.”

Link draws a breath, and Rhett realizes that Link’s about to say something, something important, and Rhett has no clue what he’s radiating right now, to have everyone so pissed at him. 

“I know you have opinions about C-sections,” Link says, still looking at Lily.

“I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned anything about them to you,” says Rhett.

“I know you have opinions about every aspect of birth and of babies,” says Link, “because you have opinions about absolutely everything, and there’s no way you haven’t been web surfing since I called you this morning.”

“I've read up a little on Caesarians, and the Caesarian industry,” Rhett has to admit.

Link nods, still looking down. “Industry, yeah, I bet you did. And I ask you now, as your best friend – do NOT share any of your opinions with my wife. And – don’t tell her that her daughter is moving like a cat, not a human, okay? Just – just don’t.”

“Jessie kind of told me the same thing right before we came in here,” Rhett says, and this gets the hoped-for laugh out of Link.

“I bet she did,” Link says, now looking at him, his eyes bright.

Link reaches out a hand and Rhett takes it. “You know we’ve got family lined up to be godparents,” Link says, “but I want you to be something more. We’re in this together, okay? Okay?”

“Okay,” Rhett repeats.

“Good,” says Link, still holding his hand. “But you need to understand – the flip side of the deal is, you need to accept that Lily is perfect. You need to accept that Christy is perfect. You need to accept that how we raise our daughter – is perfect.” He pauses. “You can have at me personally all you want.”

“I like Christy fine,” Rhett says. “When have I ever gone cataloging her flaws? Why would I ever think to do that?”

Link squeezes his hand. “Lily is perfect. Christy is perfect. She’s doing everything perfectly. Think you can handle that?”

“Um… for how long?"

“You’ll know, if you’re paying attention.”

“Yeah, okay, I can handle that,” says Rhett.

THE END


End file.
